


Forever

by rowanismybae



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Angst, slightly nsfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-29
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-12-21 12:43:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11944473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowanismybae/pseuds/rowanismybae
Summary: Rowan and Aelin have been friends since they were born. Will things change when love knock at their door?





	Forever

Evalin opened the door of their new house and saw a couple standing outside with a tray in the woman’s hand.

“Hello! I’m Marilyn and this is my husband Hugh. We’re your neighbors” and she pointed at the house next to them, the one they shared a tree with (yes, the tree was in the middle of the fence dividing their houses, actually, the fence stopped at the tree and kept going after it) “and we decided to come greet you with a pie…” she looked expectantly at Evalin and smiled.

“Oh, hi! Thank you so much, Marilyn! We’re kinda crazy here today… just moved in and my husband is inside working with some boxes. I’m Evalin and...” she looked inside and heard a soft curse inside coming from the kitchen and smiled. “My husband is Rhoe… I’m actually starving, so the pie will do wonders to my stomach” and giggled taking the tray. She looked at her round belly and smiled. “Congratulations on the baby! What is it? Do you know?”

Hugh placed a gentle hand over her bump and smiled softly while his wife spoke “It’s a boy… Rowan. He’s almost popping out, only a few weeks to go.” And smiled brightly. “What about you? No kids?”

“Not yet. We just got married… so it might take a while before we actually have kids. My sister is also pregnant, but she is just in the beginning.” Evalin said and heard her husband come to the door. “Rhoe, sweetheart, these are Marilyn and Hugh, our neighbors and they brought pie!” and showed him the tray.

“God, I’m starving! Thanks! We’d invite you, but we don’t have anything here yet…” he said placing his hands on his wife’s waist.

“Why don’t you come to dinner tonight then?” Hugh said and his wife agreed. “We don’t have many friends and we wish we had someone to help us like this when we moved in.” He shrugged.

“Okay. It’s a great idea! Thank you!” Evalin said genuinely happy.

“Eight sounds good?” Marilyn asked and when they nodded, she added “Don’t get lost on the way!” and they all laughed while they left.

Their friendship grew in time and when the baby was born, a beautiful baby with white hair like his father and green eyes like his mother was Evalin’s turn to cook for them and babysit whenever they needed.

When Evalin got pregnant Marilyn helped her in every way possible. When baby Aelin was born, Rowan was two years old and looked at the girl and frowned.

“She’s pink,” he said and placed his tiny baby hands on her hand playing with her fingers; and she closed her hand in his eyes went wide and he made some sort of surprised sound and looked at her in awe. “I will be your friend,” he said and kissed her forehead which made the ladies shed some tears. Materly instincts and all that. As they grew, they became closer and closer. Always playing together, always in each other’s houses. They played with Aedion too, Aelin’s cousin.

When she was four and he was six, they asked their parents for a Treehouse since they shared it and they got their wish. He went to school and after he came back, he told her everything, including his new buddies Fenrys and his twin Connall; they liked each other right away. That made Aelin kinda jealous, but he said they could play together because she was his best friend and nothing would change that.

Eventually, when he learned how to write and read, he tried to teach her some of it, since he had homework to do and she learned a few things. They played with his new friends and they liked Aelin as well, they thought she was cute for a girl and that earned a glare from her and they laughed. Since she was actually very feisty, she pinched the one who said that and stormed out of the room. She only came back to play when he apologized.

At the age of six, she went to school and met new friends such as Dorian, Chaol, Sam, Nehemia, and Lysandra. It was Rowan’s time to get jealous. But now they had a lot of friends to play with. And she loved to brag about the fact that she already knew how to write and read some words, and she proudly said it was her best friend that taught her.

Every night they met at the Treehouse and shared how was their day, what they had learned and how was their other activities (Aelin did piano classes and Rowan had French lessons). He even made a carving on the tree that said ‘ _R+A Forever_ ’. It was their spot, their place in the world and they always met each other there every night until dinner.

When she was eight, she started to have playdates with her girls, and they usually stayed in her bedroom and played with her dolls. She loved having her friends around. She loved playing with Rowan, but she was a girl and sometimes she needed her girl’s time. At this age, they also started to have jiu-jitsu lessons together. They were both really good and they were happy to spend more time with each other.

They had their first big fight when he was 12. They agreed to meet at the park right before their jiu-jitsu class for ice cream and she stood there waiting until there was no time to spare. When she reached the class, he was there playing with his new friend Lorcan and didn’t even paid attention to her. She stormed past him and heard him curse.

“Aelin, I’m sorry! I forgot… I was caught up with Lorcan after my French class and I just forgot.” he said walking after her and almost bumped into her when she stopped abruptly; she had her face red with rage and teary eyes.

“You never, not once, forgot about our plans, Rowan. Now that you have new friends, you just keep forgetting about me. First, it was the barbecue at my house that you skipped to play with the boys. Then you just started to talk how amazing your new friends are and your plans and now you left me alone at the park for nearly one hour! I thought we were closer than this.” And stormed into the bathroom to change.

“I have a life too Aelin. You have your friends that are the same age as you and I have mine.” He said from outside the door and she opened it again, tears rolling freely from her eyes.

“By all means, _big boy_ , go live your life. Don’t let me stop you.” And went in again.

“You know what? I will.” And went back to Lorcan. He was furious. It was so stupid, such a stupid fight, but he just couldn’t help the rage in his blood. They didn’t speak for about a week. They both missed each other deeply but were too stubborn to apologize. Until one day she was in the treehouse and he went up bringing her favorite cake: chocolate and hazelnut. He apologized for forgetting about her and promised to never do that again.

When she was one day away from turning 14, she got her first period. She cried, she felt pain from the cramps and she felt completely lost. Her mom, her sweet mom, cried with her saying that her little girl was growing up too fast. It didn’t help her dad heard about it and gave her sympathetic smiles to her. It did help when he bought her chocolate, though. She almost didn’t go to the treehouse to see Rowan, but she did anyway.

“Hey Fireheart!” he said while climbing the house. When he saw her almost curled up into a corner, he frowned. “What happened?” he stepped near her and placed his hand on her knee.

“It’s nothing,” she said and he looked at her in disbelief; she rolled her eyes. “You’ll probably be grossed out.”

“Try me.” he said with a sly smile.

“Fine.” She took a deep breath and said while blushing “I got my first period today.”

He was silent for a while with wide eyes, not knowing how to react and she groaned and covered her face with her hands. “Hey, that’s - that’s great. I mean, I know it’s not good for you, but it shows you’re healthy and normal and growing up. Now you’re officially a woman!” He said and she snorted.

“Please, I’m not a woman. I don’t have boobs yet but still have to wear a bra because it’s starting to grow and I still didn’t have my first kiss! And I’ll be 14 tomorrow! All my friends have already kissed except me. And you, of course.” she buried her face on her knees and he chuckled.

“Well, about that…” he said slowly and she looked up with wide eyes.

“What?” she asked with some sort of expression he didn’t know how to pinpoint. He didn’t really care. He was excited.

“I had my first kiss today..” He said and waited.

“Who?”

“Lyria… You remember her, right?” He asked and she nodded. The girl was a goddess, black hair, beautiful smile, kind eyes, curvy and feminine and slightly older than him. All his friends talked about her and he was the one who got to kiss her!

“Well, looks like I’m not the only who grew up today, then.” She said sadly. “Congratulations Buzzard.” And smiled. He smiled while rolling his eyes. “Tell me everything then. Spill!” and he did. He didn’t know that she cried her eyes out that night. She told herself it was because of the hormones.

The next day at her birthday party, they all played 7 minutes in heaven and she didn’t know why, but she just felt like she had to kiss someone that night. She did, actually. She ended up with Sam in the closet and turned out to quite like it and also found out that he was into her since they were 6. After that, they dated for 6 months, until he had to move away across the country.

Rowan didn’t start dating Lyria right away. He actually started dating her when Aelin and Sam broke up. So she had to cry over it with her friends because he was too busy sticking his tongue inside the girl’s mouth. _Urgh_. Not that she was a bad girl. On the other hand, she was adorable; which made Aelin hate her more.

When she turned 16, her problems begun. She kissed Dorian which was great but almost ruined their friendship. So after awhile, they decided to be better as friends only. She dated Chaol for about 6 months before it went sour. She didn’t really know how things went bad so quickly, but they did. She blamed Rowan for it. The guy who’s supposed to be her best friend discovered parties and sex so he hardly was home for their time at the treehouse. At the beginning, he left notes apologizing for bailing her, but then it stopped and she kept going up in hopes to see him there. Whenever he was there, it was perfect, like old times and they lost track of time. But he was more absent than present and it just fucked up her mind.

She had fights with Chaol because they had different opinions on small things than they argued about the future - which she thought he was rushing into things - and it all became a mess. They broke up and didn’t speak for about two months until Dorian started to date Manon, a new girl that came to the city. She hated the girl at first but then learned to manage her temper and learned to tolerate the girl. For Dorian’s sake.

She went to parties and always saw Rowan with his friends, friends that used to be her’s as well, and his gorgeous girlfriend and her heart ached. She still talked to the boys, especially Fenrys which she kissed once at one of those parties, but was a one-time thing; plus he was wasted, but it didn’t mean he forgot about it. He actually called her and they decided it was best not telling anyone about it. Aedion would kill him for that. Oh, and Aedion was dating her best friend Lysandra! So yeah, sometimes she felt lonely. She still had Nehemia and her baby cousin Elide, but she wanted someone for her.

Rowan graduated and went to college with Lyria. Their goodbye was… awful. Even though they didn’t talk as much as before, the pain of having him gone was almost too much for her. She cried for days, weeks. She spent her free time at the treehouse going through his stuff. It all smelled like him: pine and snow. She missed his laugh, his smile and his strong arms around her; but mostly, she missed her best friend. Yes, they saw each other on holidays and messaged each other but it was not the same. Every time she saw him back home, her chest ached and they spent long hours talking at their favorite place. Every goodbye was painful again.

Soon, she was the one going away. She went with Lysandra and they shared a room. The school was great, she loved the subjects she was taking and just dive into studying.

When she went back for the holidays, she noticed the treehouse’s light up and went straight for it. Her heart singing ‘ _he is here, he is here’_ and a smile danced on her lips. She went up and saw him sitting in a corner, almost too big for it now. When he saw her, his eyes lit up and the most beautiful smile played on his lips; her heart did a little step dance and she threw her arms around him. Everything about him was familiar: the scent, the warmth, the voice, his skin, even the way she fitted perfectly into his arms. She missed him so badly it hurt.

“God, I missed you, Fireheart!” He said with his head buried in the crook of her neck. She smiled through the tears that were rolling down her face; she loved the sound of his deep, rich voice.

“I missed you too, Buzzard,” she said and he chuckled. They broke apart and he wiped away her tears, kissed her forehead and hugged her once more. They talked for hours, curled up in each other, just enjoying the feeling of being together until he spoke more seriously.

“I’m getting married.”

She detached herself from his embrace and looked into his eyes, trying to see if he was joking or not. When she noticed he was serious, her heart dropped. She put on a straight face, made herself smile and congratulated him.

“I want you to be my Best Man” he added.

“I thought Fenrys would be your Best Man…” she asked carefully. She was so upset, so angry and she didn’t know why. Thankfully it was too dark for him to see her face completely, even with the light on.

He scoffed. “Of course not. He actually got mad at me for choosing _you_ instead of him, but he understood. Eventually.” He was drawing patterns on her arm with his finger.

“Are you happy?” she whispered and looked at him. Her eyes found his, and lots of emotions shown at once: doubt, sadness, concern, and he shook his head and his eyes were focused, determined and happiness?

“Yes. I love her. We’ve been together for… almost five years and her family are kinda pushing us to it. Not that I don’t want it, but maybe we could wait longer. I don’t know, since my dad is the owner of his company and I already have a job there, they seem to think it’s enough and we should get married soon. But I love her, even with the fights.” He shrugged and she nodded.

“Then I’m happy for you.” she kissed his cheek. Her heart was hurt and sobbing. She was losing her best friend for good! But it wasn’t only that… No. She wasn’t going to consider the reason why she was so upset.

When she went to her room that night, she cried until she fell asleep. Days went by and they usually hang together, planning for the wedding. Until one night they were together at the treehouse again looking at some old photos and drinking wine. They saw pictures of birthdays, play dates, their first time at the treehouse, them dirty from mud and dirt, them at summer camp and a whole bunch of photos.

“Look, your first nude! Oh! Let’s hope your… tiny baby penis grew, for Lyria’s sake.” She joked and he flicked her nose.

“Shut up. Actually, it didn’t.” When she looked at the bulge in his pants he whispered “I put socks in there to look like I have a cock, but I don’t. Actually, Lyria uses a rubber penis when we have sex.” She laughed almost choking with the wine and pushed him while calling him a jerk. “And don’t forget that _I_ saw _you_ naked plenty of times, too.”

“Well, until you was 8. After that never again. You missed a lot in those years. I actually managed to grow boobs.” she said jiggling them proudly and he barked a laugh.

“I can see that! _Ouch!_ You’re the one rubbing them on my face!” he said rubbing his arm where she punched him.

“Trust me, Buzzard, if I was rubbing them on your face, you wouldn’t have that silly smile on.” she winked and his smiled turned dangerously indecent. Her heart skipped a beat. The subject was getting a little too weird and they were only in their first glass. “Moving on… Oh, look, Halloween!” She was dressed as a princess and he was dressed as Legolas. It was funny because he already had the silver hair. When she looked at him, his eyes were dark, intense and his breathing was quick. He had hungry eyes; somehow the previous subject made him change, made him hungry. The smile she had on her lips faded and she bit her bottom lip. God, she was loving how he was looking at her, undressing her with his eyes, promising to devour her whole. She felt a fire in the pit of her stomach, burning desire cursing her veins, her heart was singing his name over and over and over again.

If you ask, they don’t know who started the kiss. All they knew was that it happened. A passionate kiss that ended up having her sitting on his lap, his hands roaming through her back, her thighs, her hair, and waist. She was pressed flush against him, feeling every muscle, drowning in his taste and scent, loving how he moaned when she bit his bottom pouty lip and when her hips rolled on his. He was everywhere and she needed more of him. She dreamed of this before, not that she ever told anyone. She just assumed she was horny and missing him. Now that it was happening, she knew better. She had been in love with him since… well, she didn’t know exactly. But she was in love with her best friend and they were making out at their treehouse.

“ _Aelin,_ ” he said with such devotion that made her shudder. His lips were trailing down her neck, her earlobe, her collarbone and up again. His hands roaming up under her shirt until he was cupping her breasts. She moaned rolling her hips once more. He moaned her name and her shirt was off. He looked at her then, a devouring look and with his hands on her breasts, he kissed the part that wasn’t covered with the lacy black bra. She pulled his hair and he groaned while teasing her nipple over the thin fabric. “I dreamed of this - God, I wanted this… _Aelin_ ” his words were husky and low making her core ache. She needed more, she needed -

“Rowan, where are you, babe?” Lyria’s voice froze them into place. One look at his face and she saw how his hunger was replaced by dread and guilt. His hands slowly let go of her and she pushed away from him. “Baby? Are you up there?”

“Yeah.” he cleared his throat and tried again “Yeah, I’ll be down in a sec.”

“Is Aelin up there too? I wanna see our _Best Man_! Actually, have to talk to her about something wedding related…”

“Sure. Just a sec. Wanna wait inside while we organize it here? It won’t take long…” he said hands covering his eyes.

“Okay Hon, don’t take too long.” And they heard her leave. After she was gone, Aelin started to move and grab the albums, the bottle, and the glasses.

“Aelin-” he started but she cut him off.

“Can you tell her that I’m not feeling well? Tell her it was the wine. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” She said putting all into the basket she brought it in.

“Aelin, listen, I’m-”

“ _Don’t._ ” She looked at him and saw the pain in his eyes. She looked away and held back the tears. “Look, I get it. We’ve been friends since forever, and soon you’re getting married. Maybe it was the wine or maybe it was something we both wanted to experience before you settle down for good. Just… forget it.” she looked around trying to find her shirt.

“Aelin, please. It’s not what you think. I didn’t mean for this to happen. I don’t regret it either. I don’t wanna cheat on her though.” He sighed rubbing his face and groaned. She found her shirt. “I’m sorry.” He looked back at her and left without another word.

She stood there for a while longer looking at her stained shirt before putting it on. She felt guilty too. The guy was engaged! But she also felt hurt. She was his best friend and that was all she would ever be.

They saw each other after that, of course. They pretended nothing had happened most of the time, but when they were alone, the tension build up so much she almost couldn’t breathe. All she could think about was his lips, his hands, his taste, his skin and his words. She was going crazy! And the worst part was organizing his wedding with his fiancé. Urgh. She never hated her more.

When the time to say goodbye once more arrived, it was worse. She knew what she was saying goodbye to, she felt like her heart was breaking once again when they hugged. She felt him breathing her in, his face on the crook of her neck, his strong arms around her and she cried. She actually had to let Lys drive because she was sobbing so hard she wasn’t able to do it. Somehow she knew it was their last chance, and now there was no going back. Next summer he’d be getting married and she’d have lost the love of her life for good.

Lys eventually found out about what happened; she wasn’t actually shocked, she started to scream _‘I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!’_ like a crazy person making Aelin smile and laugh a little. She comforted her friend and always bought her chocolate when the pain and absence were unbearable.

Aelin and Rowan talked during the year, but never about what happened. They Skyped a lot, almost every week and it only made her sadder. On her birthday, she received a box with a beautiful necklace that had a small fire-shaped pendant encrusted with yellow diamonds and the words _‘To whatever end’_ in the back that she wore ever since; and the letter that came with was completely heartbreaking, so let’s not bring it up.

Soon summer was back. She found herself in the driveway, her house in front of her and her heart ached. Things would change for good now. Her mother enveloped her in a bone crushing hug and she let herself drown in that. Rowan would only arrive the next day and she enjoyed the comfort of her family.

The day he arrived, she was busy working on the big dinner her mother was preparing for the six of them (her family and the Whitethorns), just like the old days. She was happy with that, she loved the old days; how she had Rowan for herself and how nice was that she could see him whenever she wanted to.

At night, when the doorbell rang, she heard her father walk to greet the guests -that weren’t actually guests- and Evalin followed suit. Aelin came down the stairs running for her life and stopped when she saw his silver hair and pine green eyes looking at her, but the best part was his smile. Oh God, that smile turned her guts into pudding and she felt her whole body aching for his touch. She threw herself on him and once again things were right in the world. He held her tight, breathing her in just like she was doing to him. She vagally heard the others going inside and leaving them at the door. Time went by and the hug felt like could last forever that neither would mind.

“God, I missed you!” He whispered on her neck and she shivered. He started to place soft kisses on her neck, jaw, cheeks, nose, eyes, chin, forehead, everywhere and she laughed. They did that as kids, when they were truly happy or excited, was a habit that got lost in time but seemed to fit perfectly now. “I missed you so _much_!”

She was laughing since the kisses tickled her face, but she was loving it. He held her face between his hands and looked into her eyes; the intensity of his gaze almost made her pass out. “I missed you too, Buzzard,” she said and he laughed. He leaned forward until their foreheads were touching and they just stayed there until they heard some crazy car fleeting the street.

“Your hair is shorter.” He said touching her shoulder length hair.

“Yeah, I decided to change a bit.” She shrugged.

“I like it.” He said smiling and his eyes fell to her necklace. “You’re wearing it!” He touched the small thing and when his fingers brushed her skin, she felt a tingling sensation.

“Of course I am. I’ve been wearing ever since you gave it to me. It’s perfect.” she said placing a gentle hand on his cheek and he looked at her; his eyes brought her back to the moment at the treehouse a year ago and it scared her how much she wanted to kiss him. She only noticed how close they were when they heard Evalin’s voice calling from the dining room to eat, making them jump back.

They walked in hand in hand, with a slight blush covering their faces but their parents didn’t seem to notice. It was like the old times.

“So, in a week you’ll be a married man!” Rhoe said during the meal. Aelin’s heart dropped and she was glad she was looking at her plate.

“Yeah…” was his only response.

“Well, we knew you’d get married, but… it was still a shock when you told us.” Marilyn said which received a nod from Evalin.

“What do you mean, ma?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t know if I should say this, but… Nevermind. Forget it.” She shook her hand dismissing him.

“Tell me ma! C’mon!” he pleaded; at that point even Aelin was curious.

“We just always assumed you’d marry Aelin. You two were always so close…” Hugh said with a shrug.

“I know I’d approve that,” Rhoe said and the elders laughed.

“Of course you would! My son is a jewel!” Marilyn said and the four of them started to talk about how great their kids were but the said kids weren’t listening. They were looking at each other, eyes locked together and swimming with emotion; his knee gently touched hers and she saw his throat bobbing. She gave him a weak smile and noticed the others were looking at them.

Clearing her throat she said “Yeah, but Lyria is a great girl too… and she makes him happy. That’s what matters.” She turned to the others and saw all kinds of expressions in their faces: pity, longing, sadness and understanding, the last one from her mother.

“Yes, she is,” Hugh said with a gentle smile on his lips.

After that, the dinner followed easily, but again, it was always easy to them. They said their goodbyes and the Whitethorns left. Aelin was doing the dishes when her mother stepped in with a cloth in hands drying the washed dishes.

“So… wanna talk about it?” she asked softly.

“About what?” Aelin asked.

“Well, about the fact that you’re in love with each other and it’s clear as daylight.”

Aelin dropped the plate she had in hands in the sink and thankfully didn’t break. She forced a laugh. “You, mom, are crazy.”

“Am I?” she asked softly and Aelin looked inside her eyes. There’s no way to hide things from her. _Damn_.

She sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I do love him, but I’m just his little sister. He’s getting married mom. If he didn’t want to or felt anything for me he would have done something by now.” She didn’t mention the treehouse event because she didn’t know for sure what that was.

“I don’t see it that way. But I’m not going to meddle in. If you want to talk about it, I’m here.”

“Thanks, mom.”

She finished the dishes and left to her room. Without turning on the light, she looked out the window she saw him pacing inside his own room, hands in his head, looking worried. She wanted to do something, but instead, she changed in the dark and went to bed.

The next day was his suit proof and the other guys were there too, trying their suits. Of course that, as the Best Man she’d be there. She was sitting there while all the others had their suits on and tailors doing the necessary adjustments, waiting for the groom to come out, listening to Fenrys and the guys talk about the hotties that would be at the party. She rolled her eyes. Men.

“Think about all the sad lonely bridesmaids at the wedding, Gavriel! It’ll be heaven for us since most all men here already have their significant others!”

“Ok, Fenrys, you’re disgusting,” Aelin said rolling her eyes.

“Well, maybe I can prove you wrong. I’m very pleasant when I wanna be…” he said with a sultry voice while smirking and winked.

“In your dreams jackass.”

“Yeah, I expect my cousin to have more sense than to bed _you_ , bro,” Aedion said which got a fake painful expression from Fenrys.

“You hurt my feelings!”

She rolled her eyes again and saw the door to Rowan’s fitting room open and her jaw dropped. He was wearing a black fitting suit, silver tie that matched his hair and a black pressed shirt as well underneath the suit. It wasn’t the most common outfit for the groom, but damn he looked hot! He walked towards the mirror and adjusted his suit.

“Aelin, close your mouth, or a fly might become your next meal,” Fenrys said chuckling.

Instantly Rowan’s eyes found hers through the mirror and he grinned. Her face was instantly hot and before anyone could say anything else, she heard a female voice calling her.

“Miss, your dress is here.” She stood up and followed the woman.

“Come show us your dress, Best Man!” Fenrys called and she turned and showed him her tongue. They laughed.

It was a long strapless purple dress that matched the other bridesmaids’ dresses. She was trying it on because she was already there, but the ladies fitting would be only in the afternoon. It was a simple flowy dress that wouldn’t call too much attention. The dress fitted like a glove.

“Wanna show them?” The woman asked and she nodded.

She went out and heard Fenrys whistling. She rolled her eyes.

“Seriously Fen?” She asked crossing her arms over her chest.

“What? You look hot!” She snorted and was about to make some sort of retort when she heard Rowan’s soft voice.

“She’s always hot, Fenrys. All those years and you still haven’t learned that?”

When she looked at him, he was smiling with adoration in his eyes and she melted a little.

“Go on, you two. Picture time!” Aedion said grabbing his phone. Rowan came to her and took her hand in his and place a soft kiss on it, never looking away from her. “Okay, now, everybody else show your ugly faces.” The others came around and all making grim faces for the picture. Some sort of tradition of theirs.

The rest of the day was smooth and she was able to take her dress with her. At night, right after dinner, she was about to go to sleep when she noticed the light of the treehouse on and without a second thought, went to meet Rowan. Climbing up the stairs, she announced she was going up and took her usual seat next to him. He had a grim expression and tear stains in his cheeks.

“Ro, what’s wrong?” she went straight for him taking his face between his hands.

“I - I had an argument with Lyria today.” She waited for him to go on and after a few minutes, he did. “Remember the car that scared us both yesterday when we were at the door?” She nodded. “It was her. She was furious with what she saw… she said it looked like we were about to kiss and - and she doesn’t want you at the wedding. She said it’d be just like Ross and Emily’s wedding when Rachel showed up and fucked the whole thing.” He whispered and tears rolled down his face. They always watched Friends together and the thought of his fiancé using this reference with him made her blood boil. It was their thing, not hers and his. Yes, they almost kissed, but that was not the point.

“What did you say?” she asked in a small voice.

“I said no. You’re my best friend! I can’t remember a day in my life without you, Aelin. Every important moment of my life you were there for me. I can’t get married without _you_ there!” He pulled her into a hug where his face was buried in her chest and he kept repeating _‘I can’t’_ on and on and on. She touched his hair and made soothing sounds to calm him down, but she was furious with Lyria. _How dare she?_ That wasn’t right! But she was the bride and was insecure. Aelin would never do that, but Lyria was a completely different person.

When he calmed down she looked at him and with pain in her heart, she said: “You should do as she asks.” He looked up frowning. “Listen to me, she is insecure. It’s stupid of her, but it’s true. You love her Rowan, you should do as she asks. It’s okay. And Fenrys will be very pleased with the idea of being the Best Man.” he didn’t smile though. “I’ll be here for you forever. And maybe it’s for the best that I won’t be there.” She felt sadness boiling through her body and stopped the tears from falling.

“I can’t Aelin…” he started but he cut him off.

“You can and you will. It’s okay, Buzzard. I understand.” She managed to smile even though her heart was bleeding. After a while, he nodded and she felt her gut twist.

“Is this my shirt?” he asked after minutes of silence, both of them still hugging.

“Yep. You forgot it at my place once and I took it,” she said nonchalantly.

“Are you even wearing shorts underneath?” he looked up, eyes still sad but with a spark deep down.

She rolled her eyes. “Of course, prick. You wish I wasn’t wearing one.” And pinched his arm.

He chuckled and placed a kiss on her jaw. It sent shivers down her spine. “Last time we were here things got… _interesting_.” He whispered.

“Yeah… can’t believe we almost had sex in this cramped space. You can barely fit here sitting!” She joked, but the memory made her core ache once again. Now he had one hand around her waist and the other on her thigh, drawing imaginary doodles on her skin. He chuckled.

“Can’t believe it took us that long to kiss. Everyone assumed we did while we grew up… If I knew you were that good of a kisser I’d have done it before.”

“Sure you would, perv.” She said and he chuckled again. Even though she was in pain, hear him laugh made it easier.

They stayed in there for what felt like forever, until she heard him snoring softly. She woke him up and they went home. When she hit the bed, she started to cry. She was crying so hard she didn’t see her mother come in and lay in bed with her, cuddling her and murmuring soothing words. She told her what happened and the woman kept telling her she was too good for this world, that everything would work out in the end. Aelin fell asleep like that and woke up with a hole in her heart.

The days went by fast and soon there were only two days for the wedding. And his bachelor party. Fenrys planned the whole thing which was alarming. She didn’t want to go, but they all insisted, even though she wasn’t his Best Man anymore. They went to a strip club and the guys drank, Rowan got lap dances and looked really embarrassed the whole time. He kept ogling her the whole night, her skin was on fire every time their eyes met. She barely drank two beers, and he didn’t even touched his. When they were left home, before going separate ways, she almost threw herself at him, but she heard Lyria’s voice calling him inside. Of course, she’d be there when he came back. She sighed and kissed his cheek before going home. That night, for the first time in her life, she closed her curtains.

Rowan’s parents were devastated with the news of her not being part of the wedding and not being wanted anywhere near the ceremony. They actually managed to pick a fight with Lyria because of it, which just made the bride angrier. Aelin’s parents were pissed but still made to the rehearsal dinner since they cared deeply for the groom and his family. It was pouring outside the whole day and she stayed in the house in her pj’s - that were Rowan’s shirt and cotton shorts. It was like even the sky was feeling moody and blue.

It was about nine thirty when she heard the doorbell and she left her bedroom dragging her feet down to the door. She looked at the peephole and opened the door instantly. At her doorstep was a soaked to the soul Rowan, in his pressed green shirt and black pants, with intense eyes and he smiled. He threw himself on her and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. She gave in the kiss, pouring her soul into it, telling him how much she loved him. She was soaked too in seconds but she didn’t care. He pushed them inside and closed the door without breaking the kiss. When he did, he pressed his forehead to hers and said loud and clear:

“I can’t marry her Aelin. I was at the dinner and then they put on a slideshow and every picture of mine was with you and I noticed how different I was with her and how whole I was with you. I left as soon as it finished. I talked to her and her parents and said I couldn’t do it. They screamed,” he chuckled “and she hit me and called me names, but I didn’t care. As soon as I finished telling them, I left without a word. I love _you_ , Fireheart. And with you is where _I_ belong.” He smiled and wiped away the tears from eyes and kissed her once again, this time gentler.

“I love you too Rowan… God I love you so much!” she said in his lips and he lifted her up and she crossed her legs around his hip.

He took her to her bedroom and there they stayed for the rest of the night. She didn’t listen when her parents got home or when they went to sleep. She didn’t care if they could hear her or not. All she knew was that Rowan was there, finishing what they started a year ago and pouring the love they had for each other in every touch, every kiss, every thrust. When the sun was rising, they just laid there, cuddled around each other talking about how stupid they were for not realizing before that it was love. And started to make plans for their future together and remembered how the words he carved in that tree so many years ago were true: _R+A Forever._

**

He was smiling brightly like the sun, waiting on the aisle for her. He had Aedion, Fenrys, Gavriel, Connall and Vaughan (that went in together since they were a couple) and Lorcan at his side and on the other were Lysandra, Nehemia, Manon (yes, Aelin asked her to be her bridesmaid. Yes, shocking!) and Elide.

He had to admit, this was their thing; it looked like them. His other wedding was going to be a classic wedding with a lot of sparkles, in the church, big fancy and expensive. This wedding, the wedding they chose, was simple, rustic, in the woods, with only their closest friends and cozy. The path was flanked with Gypsophila and other small white flowers and the aisle was a rustic table with some candles and flowers on top of it. The chairs were the same color as the table and the whole thing had a rustic vibe. The tables were set on the other way from where the ceremony would take place, with a wooden dance floor, fairy lights and chandeliers above it and tables scattered around it. There was a band that would play that they liked very much and he actually was the one who chose the succulents centerpieces. Their chairs had small plaques at the back that said _‘His Forever’_ and _‘Hers Forever’_. The cake table was also rustic with tones of white and brown and he loved to help pick everything with the love of his life.

They chose the dresses of the bridesmaids in a sparkly rose gold tone that looked modest in the front but was draped in the back, being almost completely backless. The groomsmen were wearing a dark gray vest with pants the same color and a green tie just like Rowan’s. Oh, yeah, his suit was amazing. It was dark gray like his friends with a white shirt a green tie and a small white flower on the lapel.

And when the song came up, he saw the love of his life and almost fainted. She was wearing a simple lacy flowy white dress with loose sleeves and a V neckline. She had a flower crown on her hair and her bouquet was made with wildflowers. Her makeup was simple and only make her eyes pop out even more. He cried. He had never seen such beautiful sight before… except her naked in the morning curled up next to him in bed.

The wedding was quick and they made their vows and they agreed to finish them with the phrase he engraved on her necklace - that, by the way, was the only piece of jewelry she was wearing - _‘To whatever end’_.

As they danced together for the first time as a married couple he couldn’t stop thinking how lucky he was to marry his best friend, the princess of his fairy tales and the love of his life. And now was only the beginning and the future looked promising once again because he had her forever.

**Author's Note:**

> I actually got some images to inspire me for the wedding scene. If you wanna check them out, the links are here:  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/02/db/41/02db4199664293553292390051c5cca0--gold-bridesmaids-long-bridesmaid-dresses.jpg  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/6c/c8/c0/6cc8c07c66cfdd5eb1602564233220f4--forest-wedding-decorations-forest-wedding-theme-fairy-lights.jpg  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/35/b4/c7/35b4c7310e71ddb42349a376cf4b18c9--groomsmen-in-vests-groomsman-attire.jpg  
> https://johnlewis.scene7.com/is/image/JohnLewis/mens-wedding-1-240117  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d9/fa/c5/d9fac5768c694de49376747e9b8cd3c6--succulent-centerpieces-rustic-centerpieces.jpg  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/d0/cb/e2/d0cbe2b48d42a299f92f3c369355db0b--rustic-dessert-tables-wedding-dessert-tables.jpg  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0e/6d/29/0e6d296fcba093f87f231e9f704bfa50--march-weddings-winter-weddings.jpg  
> http://www.leblogdemadamec.fr/accueil/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Rue-de-Seine-Robes-de-mariees-Jessica-Sim-Photography-leblogdemadamec.fr-0161.jpg  
> https://i.pinimg.com/736x/ff/a7/89/ffa78951d4480103d9f055992e8b1385--delicate-wedding-dress-boho-lace-wedding-dress.jpg


End file.
